I'm not a very 'organic' person. I don't buy organic food and fruits, and most of my daily home products are not organic. And neither are my personal care products.
Don't get me wrong, I know organic is all good and all, but somehow I just don't feel the urge to go organic, with it being more expensive and difficult to source.
Maybe because I am blessed that Shern & I & hubby, we don't have any eczema/sensitive skin, therefore no urge to switch to organics. But overall, I guess ignorance on my part plays a big role in this.
Well, all this changed when I grew addicted to online shopping. First of all, shopping online means surfing through many websites for the cheapest price and value. And while doing that, you can't help reading info and be more aware of the benefits of organic products, especially when I shop for baby products most of the time. And so with 'Lil Bub inside me and Shern, I decided to start to start going a 'lil more organic with them!
A mum always gives the best to their kids, right? ;)
So, I'm going to start with their toiletries and such.
I find this
EWG Skin Deep rating site very useful, so I used it to be my guide.
a) SHAMPOO / BODY WASH
Shern bathed twice a day. Once after he comes home from playschool and another time at night before he winds down to his sleep routine. He shampoos his hair at least once every day, because he is someone who sweats easily. And with our hot climate and him being so active, running around, no way I can shampoo his hair every alternate days. I've been using these on Shern:
i)
Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo (EWG Rating:
4: Moderate Hazard)
I think I've been using this product since I was young.
ii)
Sebamed Children's Shampoo (EWG Skin Deep Rating:
5: Moderate Hazard)
I always thought that Sebamed is a baby-friendly shampoo, but surprisingly, the rating is worse than Johnson's.
Therefore, due to him shampooing every day, I need to find a light and safe shampoo, which is not going to dry his scalp. I am going to change the shampoo and body wash to:
i) Earth Mama Angel Baby, Shampoo and Body Wash
(EWG Skin Deep Rating:
0: Low Hazard)
Price:
~RM28.00 / 160ml
Comment:
Bought this small bottle to try on 'Lil Bub. There is a more economical 1 litre bottle on sale.
This is NOT a no-tear formula, so use extra care around your angel baby's eyes!
ii) Buds for Kids Lavendar Gift Pack, which contains:
-
Buds for Kids Lavendar Shampoo 250ml
-
Buds for Kids Lavendar Shower Gel 250ml
(EWG Skin Deep Rating: Unknown)
Price:
~RM40.96 after discount
Comment: Bought this for Shern.
b) DIAPER /NAPPY RASH CREAM
Shern was on lampin during his first few months as a baby, and gradually used
Cloth Diapers. So nappy rash was rare. But there still are times when his bum got a little too red, especially when I left his diapers on a little too long.
i) Was using
Bepanthen Nappy Rash Ointment (EWG Skin Deep Rating: unknown)
I've been using it on Shern when he was a baby and it
works like a charm. But now I want to try something more organic, which will be safer for baby.
Bought these 2 balms to try it out:
i) Badger Company Baby Balm
(EWG Skin Deep Rating:
0: Low Hazard)
Price:
~RM28.70 / 2oz / 56g
Comment: Love the cute 'lil tin. Easy to have it in your diaper bag.
ii) Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm
(EWG Skin Deep Rating:
0: Low Hazard)Price:
~RM38.20 / 2oz / 60g
Comment: Bought the bigger 60g tub to use at home. There is also a smaller 30g tub for on-the-go use.
c) MOSQUITO REPELLENT
We usually sleep without turning on the aircond. Our place is quite breezy on most nights. But the bad thing about this is that the mosquitoes sometimes do visit us. So a mosquito repellent is needed.
i) Was using
Moz-Away Repellent Spray (EWG Skin Deep Rating: Unknown)
So now we are going to change to:
i) Badger Company, Anti-Bug Balm Stick
(EWG Skin Deep Rating:
0: Low Hazard)
Price:
~RM34.40 / 1.5oz / 42g
ii) Badger Company, Anti-Bug Balm
(EWG Skin Deep Rating:
0: Low Hazard)
Price:
~28.70 / 2oz / 56g
Comment: Love the cute 'lil tin. Great for on-the-go use.
d) SUNSCREEN LOTION
On our hot and humid tropical climate, with the sun shining on us almost daily, we need to protect ourselves with sunscreen. Especially when we bring Shern out to
Cuti-cuti Penang quite frequently.
i) Was using
Banana Boat Kids Sunscreen Lotion SPF50 (EWG Skin Deep Rating:
6: Moderate Hazard).
Based on the EWG Skin Rating, this Banana Boat Kids brand has a higher hazardous level when the SPF level increases and some of the items even go up to 7: High Hazard. And to think that I applied this on Shern once in a while.
So now I changed to my favourite Badger Company brand for a more organic and less hazardous product.
i)
Badger Company Baby Sunscreen SPF30+
(EWG Skin Deep Rating:
1: Low Hazard)
Price:
~RM36.70 / 2.9oz / 87ml
e) FIRST AID LOTION
Quite often Shern bumped his head here and there. And is a small issue if there are some scratches here and there too. He is a very active boy and is inevitable that he has got these minor wounds. But I try to expedite the healing and also reduce the soreness by applying some first aid lotion to his wounds.
i) Buds Cherished First Aid Lotion
(EWG Skin Deep Rating: Unknown)
Price:
~RM30.30 after dicount
Most of these products I bought online, which are cheaper. Some has arrived and I have start using them. Some are still on its way to my home. I will only start writing reviews on them (if time permits when 'Lil Bub is out) when I have used them for a good month or so.
I will slowly phase out the old products and start testing out the different organic products on Shern and Lil Bub.
I'm rather proud of myself to take this step of 'going a lil more organic' for my kids! Who knows, maybe soon, I will also go organic myself! ;)
Fyi, most of the above mentioned products I got from either Bubalot.com or iherb.com.
At Bubalot, when you buy 3 or more Buds products, you will be entitled for 20% discount. And you get an extra 5% discount if you are a Bubalot member. And if you purchase above RM100, you get free shipping within Malaysia.
At iherb, there are a lot of choices at very competitive prices. You can get a flat rate $USD4.00 on International Airmail if your order is not more than $80.00 and below 4 pounds.
You can use this coupon code: FUP909 if you are a new customer. You will
receive $10 off your first order of $40 or more, or you can take $5
off orders less than $40.
(Disclosure: in return, I earn credits in my iherb account if you use this coupon code)